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Baby boomers reshape volunteer organizations

The Seattle Times reports the Peace Corps is reshaping its youthfocused culture as part of a national push to attract retirement-age volunteers.

Almost every facet of the federal agency will be affected, says the paper, from recruitment messages and medical screening, to language training and country placements.

The goal is to boost the ranks of volunteers 50 and older from 5 percent of the 7,749 Americans in the Peace Corps to 15 percent over the next two years.

The average age of volunteers is 27, but the oldest person now serving is 81.

The Times quotes said Ron Tschetter, newly appointed Peace Corps director, as saying baby boomers are a "very rich American resource," mature, highly skilled, educated and willing to give back to society: "We can offer them an opportunity to do that in a very unique way and have meaningful results for them and the host country."